Collection PL

Argentina 1884 — El Banco del Chaco 1 Peso Moneda Nacional Oro Serial 05056 (Pick S1566)

Partial issued note of El Banco del Chaco’s 1 Peso Moneda Nacional Oro, dated 1 Octubre 1884 and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, for the Villa Ocampo branch under the Ley de Bancos Garantidos provincial charter. The vignette centers on an allegory of Agriculture symbolizing prosperity and labor, flanked by a dog and bull for loyalty and strength—one of BWC’s finest small-format engravings for South America. Although the upper-right corner is missing, this early-serial piece (No. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1867 — Banco Oriental 10 Pesos = 1 Doblón de Oro Sellado Issued Note, Handwritten Right-Side Signature, Serial 55818 (Pick S385a)

Issued banknote of the Banco Oriental of Uruguay, dated 1 de Agosto de 1867 and printed by the American Bank Note Company in New York. This issue represents the foundational appearance of the Banco Oriental 10 Pesos = 1 Doblón de Oro Sellado denomination and establishes the complete visual, symbolic, and technical template later reused for subsequent reauthorizations in the early 1870s. The obverse design follows the classic American Bank Note Company international style of the mid-nineteenth century. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1867 — Banco Oriental 10 Pesos = 1 Doblón de Oro Sellado Issued Note, Dual Handwritten Signatures at Left and Right, Serial 23286 (Pick S385a)

Issued banknote of the Banco Oriental of Uruguay, dated 1 de Agosto de 1867 and printed by the American Bank Note Company in New York. Although produced from the same engraved plates as the standard single-signature issue, this example documents a brief and highly unusual authorization phase in which two handwritten circulation signatures were applied to a single note. The obverse design is identical to the standard 1867 Banco Oriental issue, featuring allegorical female figures representing Commerce and Abundance at left, the national coat of arms at right, and a prominent central orange guilloche bearing the inscription “UN DOBLÓN DE ORO SELLADO.” This inscription emphasized gold convertibility and was central to public confidence in privately issued paper money during Uruguay’s mid-nineteenth-century monetary development. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1867 — Banco Oriental 10 Pesos = 1 Doblón de Oro Sellado Issued Note, Centered Handwritten Signature, Serial 35345 (Pick S385a)

Issued banknote of the Banco Oriental of Uruguay, dated 1 de Agosto de 1867 and printed by the American Bank Note Company in New York. Produced from the same engraved plates as the standard single-signature issue, this example documents a transitional authorization state following the brief dual-signature requirement implemented during the initial circulation period. The obverse design remains unchanged from the core 1867 issue, featuring allegorical female figures representing Commerce and Abundance at left, the national coat of arms at right, and a prominent central orange guilloche bearing the inscription “UN DOBLÓN DE ORO SELLADO.” The design emphasizes gold convertibility and reflects American Bank Note Company engraving standards developed for Latin American monetary contracts of the mid-nineteenth century. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1867 — Banco Oriental 10 Pesos = 1 Doblón de Oro Sellado Issued Note, Facsimile Signature at Right, Serial 74487 (Pick S385a)

Issued banknote of the Banco Oriental of Uruguay, dated 1 de Agosto de 1867 and printed by the American Bank Note Company in New York. This example represents the final standardized production state of the Banco Oriental 10 Pesos = 1 Doblón de Oro Sellado issue, marking the full transition from manual authorization to mechanically reproduced signatures. The obverse design remains consistent with all 1867 Banco Oriental Doblón notes, featuring allegorical female figures representing Commerce and Abundance at left, the national coat of arms at right, and a prominent central orange guilloche bearing the inscription “UN DOBLÓN DE ORO SELLADO.” This visual continuity underscores the reuse of the original engraved plates throughout all authorization phases of the issue. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1862 — Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 100 Pesos Specimen (Pick S245s)

This perforated specimen of the 1862 100 Pesos note was prepared for the Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata, among the earliest private commercial banks to operate in Uruguay and the wider River Plate region. Founded in Buenos Aires in 1862 with a Montevideo branch soon after, the bank served as a critical financial link between South American trade and British capital—handling customs revenue, shipping finance, and early railway projects. Engraved and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. ... Read more →

Argentina 1866 — Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 1 Real Rosario Type A (Printed Signature) PS1731 · Bauman SFE 70

Early circulating bank vale issued by the Rosario branch of the Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata, dated Rosario, 15 de Setiembre de 1866. The note promises payment at sight of one Real in Plata Boliviana, reflecting the silver standard widely used in regional trade across the Rio de la Plata basin and the interior provinces of Argentina during the mid-nineteenth century. The Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata, founded in London in 1862, represented one of the first large foreign banking institutions operating in the Southern Cone. ... Read more →

Argentina 1866 — Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 1 Real Rosario Type B (Hand-Signed) PS1731 · Bauman SFE 70

Issued fractional bank vale of the Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata dated Rosario, 15 de Setiembre de 1866. The note promises payment at sight of one Real in Plata Boliviana and belongs to the earliest circulation phase of British-controlled private banking activity in Argentina. Founded in London in 1862, the Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata rapidly became one of the most influential foreign financial institutions operating in the Rio de la Plata region. ... Read more →

Poland 1936 — 50 Zlotych Reverse Progressive Proof (Pick 78pp2)

Progressive proof of the reverse design for the unissued 1936 50 Zlotych — one of the most advanced and visually ambitious notes ever conceived by the Second Polish Republic. Printed by the Państwowa Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych (PWPW) in Warsaw, this sheet captures a transitional stage in the birth of a masterpiece. The reverse artwork was executed under the artistic supervision of Wacław Borowski and engraved by Włodzimierz Vacek, two of the most accomplished figures in pre-war Polish graphic arts. ... Read more →

Libya 1971 — Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars Color Trial Specimen (Omar al-Mukhtar Portrait, Pick 37cts)

This color trial specimen represents a pre-issue production stage of the Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars note introduced in 1971, prepared during the immediate post-monarchy redesign of the national currency. Following the establishment of the Libyan Arab Republic, royal imagery was formally removed and replaced with revolutionary-era symbolism, most prominently the portrait of Omar al-Mukhtar, positioned as a unifying national figure and ideological anchor of the new regime. Color trial specimens occupy a critical position within the banknote production sequence. ... Read more →

Libya 1971 — Central Bank of Libya Omar al-Mukhtar Intaglio Vignette Proof (Portrait Master for 10 Dinars Issue)

This intaglio vignette proof represents the master engraved portrait of Omar al-Mukhtar prepared for the Central Bank of Libya’s post-monarchy currency redesign introduced in 1971. The vignette constitutes a standalone production artifact, engraved independently of any completed banknote and intended for transfer into the face plate of the new 10 Dinars issue following final approval. In modern banknote production, vignette proofs occupy a foundational position within the engraving workflow. ... Read more →

Libya 1971 — Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars Specimen (Omar al-Mukhtar Portrait, Pick 37s)

This specimen represents the official pre-issue specimen of the Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars note introduced in 1971, the first high-denomination issue of the Libyan Arab Republic following the abolition of the monarchy. Bearing the red SPECIMEN overprint and zero control serials, the note documents the final approved design state immediately before full circulation printing commenced. Specimen banknotes occupy a distinct position within the currency production and distribution process. ... Read more →